Effects of low-field magnetic stimulation on brain glucose metabolism.
Volkow ND, Tomasi D, Wang GJ, Fowler JS, Telang F, Wang R, Alexoff D, Logan J, Wong C, Pradhan K, Caparelli EC, Ma Y, Jayne M. · 2010
View Original AbstractPulsed magnetic fields at 920 Hz caused measurable decreases in brain metabolism, with stronger fields producing greater effects.
Plain English Summary
Researchers exposed 15 healthy people to pulsed magnetic fields (920 Hz) while measuring brain glucose metabolism using PET scans. They found that areas of the brain exposed to stronger electric fields showed decreased metabolic activity compared to unexposed areas. The stronger the field, the greater the reduction in brain metabolism, suggesting that electromagnetic fields can directly alter brain function.
Why This Matters
This study provides compelling evidence that electromagnetic fields can measurably alter brain metabolism in humans. The researchers used a sophisticated approach, essentially creating a natural experiment within the brain itself by comparing areas exposed to different field strengths. The linear relationship they found between field strength and metabolic changes (correlation of 0.68) suggests a dose-response effect - the hallmark of a genuine biological impact. What makes this particularly significant is that these effects occurred at field strengths far below what's considered 'safe' by current guidelines. The 920 Hz frequency and pulsed nature of the exposure are similar to characteristics found in many modern electronic devices and wireless technologies. While the researchers didn't observe changes in mood or overall brain metabolism, the localized effects they documented demonstrate that our brains are not immune to electromagnetic influences, even at relatively low intensities.
Exposure Details
- Magnetic Field
- 4000 mG
- Source/Device
- 920 Hz
Exposure Context
This study used 4000 mG for magnetic fields:
- 200Mx above the Building Biology guideline of 0.2 mG
- 40Mx above the BioInitiative Report recommendation of 1 mG
Building Biology guidelines are practitioner-based limits from real-world assessments. BioInitiative Report recommendations are based on peer-reviewed science. Check Your Exposure to compare your own measurements.
Where This Falls on the Concern Scale
Study Details
Here we assessed the effects of EPI on brain glucose metabolism (marker of brain function) using PET and 18F 2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (18FDG).
Fifteen healthy subjects were in a 4 T magnet during the 18FDG uptake period twice: with (ON) and wi...
The E-field from these EPI pulses is non-homogeneous, increasing linearly from the gradient's isocen...
This data provides preliminary evidence that EPI sequences may affect neuronal activity and merits further investigation.
Show BibTeX
@article{nd_2010_effects_of_lowfield_magnetic_728,
author = {Volkow ND and Tomasi D and Wang GJ and Fowler JS and Telang F and Wang R and Alexoff D and Logan J and Wong C and Pradhan K and Caparelli EC and Ma Y and Jayne M.},
title = {Effects of low-field magnetic stimulation on brain glucose metabolism.},
year = {2010},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1053811910001837},
}